Apple may run out of iPod batteries due to Japan’s earthquake

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Apple is always held up as an example of how to do design, but more recently it should be seen as a company that also knows how to setup a robust supply chain. This is particularly true in the the case of the iPad, as somehow Apple secured itself 60% of global touch panel production for the tablets and that’s why millions of sales don’t mean lots of “out of stock” stickers in its stores.

But even the most organized and forward-thinking company can hit a barrier sometimes, and this is what is happening with Apple and its range of iPods at the moment.

The earthquake in Japan has meant a number of manufacturers have had to close their doors while the country gets back on its feet. That’s not a problem for the most part as many companies have manufacturing operations in other areas of the world, too. Unfortunately for Apple that’s not the case for Japanese company Kureha Corp. which manufactures a PVDF polymer used in lithium-polymer batteries only in Japan.

The reason Kureha is so vital to the production of these batteries is because the polymer it manufactures is flexible. Therefore it is essential for very small, mobile devices to aid with actually fitting the battery in them. Although iPods are highlighted here, a range of small gadgets will suffer supply issues because of this factory closure.

The problem for Kureha is one of supply. It needs vinyl chloride and salt to create PVDF, and neither material can get to its factory at the moment due to the nearby port being destroyed. You can therefore understand why there’s no firm date yet for it to reopen.

It is thought there is around two months supply left of the polymer. Kureha accounts for 70% of the world’s PVDF production meaning even if Apple went elsewhere supplies would be limited. For Kureha, it’s been a wake up call to start moving production outside of Japan in case such a disaster were to happen again. For Apple, it could mean no iPods available to sell by the summer.